Writing-position penholder



J. W. GRIFFITH.

wmnm; POSITION PENHOLDER.

APPLICAHOII FILED FEB. 2, I920- N VE/V TOR J W- ER/FF/ r Patented June 1, 1920.

FIE 5 res UNITED some w. GRIFFITH, or'snn FRANCISCO, cararoaum.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. GRIFFITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county ofSan Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Writing- Position Penholders, of which the followin is a specification.

his invention relates to a device the use of which will insure the holding of a pen holder and the fingers in the correct writing position and require the forearm or muscular movement, which is acquired ordinarily with much difficulty. The device is in the form of an. attachment for pen holders and capable of adjustment to fitthe fingers and hand of the particular writer.

Teachers of enmanship experience much difficulty in having the pupils maintain the pen holder in proper position and it is also difficult for the pupils to maintain this position. I therefore provide a simple and inexpensive device which when attached to a pen holder will act as a guide for the pupil or writer and not necessitate clasping the pen with the fin ers, and which. will hold the pen and ham? in the proper and correct position to secure the best results in writing. The device is so constructed that cramping of the fingers and hand is avoided and the free forearm or muscular movementv must be resorted to. in writing.

The invention possesses other advantages and features, some of which, with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the fol lowing descriptionwhere I shall outline in full, that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the draw ings accompanying and forming a part ofthe present specification. In said drawings I have shown one forni of the construction of my invention but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such forni,

since the invention as expressed in tlieclaims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring. to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the invention as it would appear when in use, Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of the invention from another point of view and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device attached to a fragment of a pen holder.

Referring to the present embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, 1 designates a pen holder of the ordinary type, 2 the pen point in said Speciflcationcf Letters Patent.

Patented J une 1-, 1920.

Application filed February 2, 192a Serial no. 355,680.

holder, and 3 the correct position attachment of my invention.

The device of my invention comprises essentially guide portions which, when the pen holder or a pencil, or other Writing instrument, is clasped by the writer, will insure the proper holding of the pen holder or instrument and the correct cisposition of the fingers relative to the holder. To this end, there .is provided an attachment sleeve 4 which is preferably c lindrical and split in order that it may e slipped over and clamped upon the pen holder as shown in' Fig. 3 of the drawings. On one side of this sleeve 4 there is provided a thumb rest 5 which is preferably concave on the side thereof engaged by the thumb as shown in Fi 2 of the drawings.

11 the other side of said sleeve there is carried a first and second' finger guide'depen-holder is a loop 9 havinga downwardly extending portion 10 for engagement at its lower'end with the paper being written upon. The lower end of the member 10 may be enlarged and rounded as at 11, so that it will move freely over the paper. The front side 12 of the loop 9 is comparatively straight whereas the rear side is curved as at 13. The third and little fingers are inserted through this'loop so that the backs of said fingers will rest against the straight side 12 of the loop and be disposed in said position to have the finger nails rest lightly upon the paper being written upon. member 14 is fixed to the sleeve 4 substantially in line with the keepers 8 so as to support the tip of the second finger, the tip of the first finger being supported upon the' A supporting the particular person usin the device. The wire where the arm 6 and loop 9 are con nected with the member 14 is preferably twisted as at 15 to provide a spring hinge connection between the arm 6 and loop 9. Thus when the device is fitted upon a pen holder the tendency of the spring hinge normall holds the device with the arm 6 extending slightly to the left side of the pen holder and when the fingers are properly inserted in the device the spring action tends to hold the device securely in place against the fingers.

In use, the writer places the pen holder in the hollow between the thumb and first fin er, inserts the first and second fingers un er the keepers 7 and 8 and .laces the third and little fingers within t e loop 9. The loo 9 is arranged relative to the keepers 7 and 8 so that the third and little fingers must be crooked or bent in order to be inserted and the finger nails will therefore rest u on the paper as shown in Fig. 1. The secon' finger tip rests upon the member 14 and the thumb engages the thumb icce 5. With the pen thus held as shown in igs. 2 and 3, the writer is required to maintain the. correct writing position and the fingers and hand are not cramped in any way and permitted freedom of movement sufiicient to provide accuracy in writing. The member 10 on the outer end of the loop 9 supports the hand on the right side of the pen'holder' so that when the hand is pressed downwardly the majorityof the pressure will be taken up in the loop 9 and member 10. The sleeve 4 may be moved up and down on the pen holder until the proper position to best suit the articular writer is obtained.

It wil be seen that I have provided a device which is not only an aid to writers, but will be a boon to teachers and instructors of enmanship in that by its use the pupil is required to hold the pen in correct wr1ting position and maintain said position through out the operation of writm The device will he of great use in teaching children in that after a short continued use of the device the hand and fingers will be trained to hold the pen in proper writing position.

To assume the proper writmg position, and secure best results with the device, the right arm should be placed on the desk or support, the writer resting on the muscles just forward of the elbow, with the nails of the third and little fingers resting on the paper and the wrist clear of the paper. In

this position, the hand, fingers, and pen should be moved as one when writing and a smooth even stroke will be made.

It is to be understood that wherever the word pen holder is used or the word pen in the sense of pen holder, a pencil may be substituted, as the device is equally applicable for writing with a pencil as for wr1ting with a pen.

I claim 1. In combination with a pen holder having a pen point at one end and of a sleeve receiving said pen holder, a finger receiving loop secured to said sleeve and extending outwardly to one side of the pen holder, in downwardl extending member on the outer end of sai loop for engagement with the paper being written upon, a thumb piece on said sleeve and finger guides fixed to said sleeve.

2. In combination with a pen holder, a sleeve mounted upon said pen holder, a finger receiving loop extending outwardly from said sleeve, a downward extension on said loop adapted to engage the paper being written upon, an arm secured to said sleeve finger keepers supported by and extending on opposite sides of said arm for rece tion of the first and second fingers of the" mud and'a thumb piece carried by said sleeve.

3. In comblnation with a pen holder, a sleeve mounted upon said pen holder, a finger receiving loop extendmg outwardly from said sleeve, a downward extension on said loop adapted to engage the paper being written upon, an arm secured to said sleeve finger keepers supported by and extending on opposite sides of said arm for rece tion of the first and second fingers of the and, and a thumb piece carried by said sleeve, and a member for supporting the tip of the second finger carriedby said sleeve.

4. In combination with a pen holder, a sleeve mounted upon said pen holder, a fingerreceiving loop extendmg outwardly from said sleeve, a ownward extension on said loop adapted to engage the aper being written upon, an arm securec' to said sleeve and extending in the direction of the length of said pen holder, spaced arched finger keepers extending on op osite sides of said arm for reception of the rst and second fin ers of the hand and a thumb piece carriec by said sleeve, said loop arm and keepers being formed'of spring wire.

JOHN W. GRIFFITH. 

